Traffic was disrupted between Kalimpong and Sikkim for nearly five hours on Saturday after a landslide occurred on NH10 at Tarkhola during incessant rain.
The condition of NH10 near Swetijhora, which is between Sevoke and Teesta Bazar, is also vulnerable, as around one-third of the stretch has caved in along the Teesta river.
“A fresh landslide at Tarkhola in Kalimpong district on NH10 snapped the direct road connectivity between Kalimpong and Sikkim since 9.30am today. The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, along with the Kalimpong district administration, started clearing the debris from the affected area. Eventually, vehicles started passing along the stretch around 2pm,” said an administrative official.
“Drivers have been requested to be cautious at Swetijhora, where a chunk of the highway has caved in. The road has become narrow there,” the official added.
Indra Hang Subba, the sole Lok Sabha member from Sikkim, called on Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday and requested him to consider building a greenfield highway between Sevoke and Melli on the opposite bank of the Teesta. NH10, which is the lifeline of Sikkim, is along the right bank of the river till Teesta Bazar (the landslide-prone stretch) and then, along the left bank.
“This new alignment would serve as a strategic and flood-resilient parallel route to the existing NH10, ensuring uninterrupted access to Sikkim during natural calamities and enhancing long-term regional connectivity,” Subba wrote on social media after the meeting.
The MP also sought Gadkari’s intervention for the improvement of NH10.
“I have emphasised how silt, boulders and debris deposited by the 2023 floods have substantially raised the riverbed by as much as 14 metres at places like Melli, resulting in the frequent inundation of NH10 during monsoons. The floods are endangering lives and properties and disrupting supply chains, emergency services and tourism in the region,” said the MP.
The regional Met office in Gangtok has forecast extensive rainfall in the state from Saturday to August 5.
“Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in the districts of Gangtok, Mangan, Namchi, Pakyong, Gyalsing and Soreng. Heavy rain has been forecast in Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong and Alipurduar districts of Bengal as well,” said a weather expert.